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HIT, HIIT...or HIIRT

09-22-2012, 07:29 AM

In order to maximize fat loss, we must elevate growth hormone secretion, minimize insulin spikes, improve muscle insulin sensitivity, and keep cortisol under control. This is best achieved by keeping training sessions brief, brutal, basic and intermittent.

Which of these approaches are you using HIT, HIIT...or HIIRT and why? My fat loss really kicked into gear when I started doing HIIRT.

i guess i've done, and still do all three to some extent. i've been adjusting to a new job and city, so i keep my workouts short by just doing simplefit (plus walks with occasional runs/sprints). day 3 of simple fit is easily HIT according to that article: x amount of pullup, pushup and squat reps in as short a time as possible, aiming for the 5 minute mark. i actually do two rounds of that, with the second one untimed but still fast.
day 1 is probably HIIT or HIIRT. i do a set number of reps per exercise, every minute, for thirty minutes (power half hour). it's supposed to be as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes, but i prefer the interval aspect of how i changed it. because these are resistance moves, i guess that qualifies as HIIRT, and HIIT would be my sprint workouts.

in terms of the best fat loss, i've got to give it to one of the interval methods. i spent the whole month of july doing HIIRT with calisthenics, and got the leanest i think i've ever been... almost daily metcon workouts were tough though. i think it's the short rest periods that allow you to continue to push hard in the next burst.

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I have been doing HIIRT though this post is the first time I've seen the term spelled out more specifically than the HIT or Metcon I have been calling. I structure my routine around 5 minutes of cardio warm up, hit of the four big lifts really hard (i.e. deadlift, squat, press or bench press), and then turn to some superset assistant work -- rows paired with tricep pressdowns, for example.

After that, I wrap up my workout with the HIIRT. 5 to 7 exercises back-to-back for 2 or 3 sets. Usually the circuit includes at least one minute on a piece of cardio equipment or box jumps.

I have not been including the one minute of rest between exercises but will try that. Should give me extra energy to push harder on each exercise.

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Thanks for the feed back primalbob and deadliftdan. Its always interesting to get another perspective. Currently I am into some serious sprint intervals at the track a couple of days a week along with a bi-weekly body weight HIT which includes a one mile run to the park, 15 pullups, 40 pushups, 30 situps and 30 squats cycled 4 times then a 1 mile run back home. I like to periodize and change up every couple of months. Next period will include some HIIRT at the gym with weights.

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I am currently doing Mike Mentzer's Ideal Routine from his book High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way on Monday and Friday and I run hill sprints on Wednesday. Every bit of exercise I do is high intensity, short and infrequent.

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I am currently doing Mike Mentzer's Ideal Routine from his book High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way on Monday and Friday and I run hill sprints on Wednesday. Every bit of exercise I do is high intensity, short and infrequent.

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Which of these approaches are you using HIT, HIIT...or HIIRT and why? My fat loss really kicked into gear when I started doing HIIRT.

I do two lots of HIT rowing on a Concept 2 per week and one session of Body by Science strength training. Total hard work is about 10 minutes a week. This suits me as I am a lazy b@st@rd. My resting pulse has gone from about 60 in early March to just over 40 beats per minute week before last. I've lost 44lbs in that time, mainly through eating less calories with virtually no grains and more fat/meat/eggs.

Why use a sledge hammer to crack a nut when a steam roller is even more effective, and, is fun to drive.

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I do two lots of HIT rowing on a Concept 2 per week and one session of Body by Science strength training. Total hard work is about 10 minutes a week. This suits me as I am a lazy b@st@rd. My resting pulse has gone from about 60 in early March to just over 40 beats per minute week before last. I've lost 44lbs in that time, mainly through eating less calories with virtually no grains and more fat/meat/eggs.

Wow, those are some great results! A resting heart rate of 40 is seriously good - Olympic athlete range, the fact that you started at 60 which is also very good and moved to 40 means that either you have great genetics or there might be an issue with your heart. Any way congratulations on your progress but if you are feeling light headed and overly tired get to a doctor and have them run an electrocardiogram assessment.

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40BPM is dangerously low.... I'd be a little concerned there, Nigel. ;-) Even very well-trained athletes will typically have a HR closer to the 50-55 mark.

HIIRT basically sounds like supersetting your exercises? Deadlift Dan, you are brutal if you can do a few sets of your heavy lift, accessory work, and THEN a 2-3 round circuit. How many accessory lifts are you doing?

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the fact that you started at 60 which is also very good and moved to 40 means that either you have great genetics or there might be an issue with your heart. Any way congratulations on your progress but if you are feeling light headed and overly tired get to a doctor and have them run an electrocardiogram assessment.

Thanks. I only tend to feel really light headed after 1.5 litres of vino collapso. Had an electrocardiogram years ago and it was fine, appreciate the concern though. Thought I'd hit a weight plateau at the 44lbs mark but was 195lbs Monday from the 240 start point in March.

Why use a sledge hammer to crack a nut when a steam roller is even more effective, and, is fun to drive.

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40BPM is dangerously low.... I'd be a little concerned there, Nigel. ;-) Even very well-trained athletes will typically have a HR closer to the 50-55 mark.

Nah, it was in the low 40ies years ago when I trained for a fell race. The Cheviot 2000 is 22 miles over eleven hills of over 2,000 feet, about a third of it being peat bog. Teams of three, once a year. I had a nine mile circuit that I would jog round carrying a rucksack. Wish I'd known about HIT and Body by Science back then, it would have saved me hours and hours.

Why use a sledge hammer to crack a nut when a steam roller is even more effective, and, is fun to drive.